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February 02, 2010

Distractions

I have mentioned before how much my Mom loved the Word of God. She loved to read it, soak it in and even teach it. (She was a part of Bible Study Fellowship International for twenty years or more.) She also didn't just study it, she practiced it.

I often wonder if it would be the same now. Would she have the time or with all of today's distractions, would it be more difficult with cell phones, cable/satellite TV, internet and all of the activities that pull us in different directions. Then I remember, she raised five children, four rowdy boys and one perfectly well behaved daughter (ahem). Actually, I'm convinced that the daughter gave her more prayer callouses on her knees than the four boys combined but that wasn't until we were in adulthood but that is a whole series of posts for another time. The fact is, she took the time and made it a priority.

I remember her telling the story about how she couldn't find time to finish her homework every week. No matter how much she tried to schedule it in, she wasn't getting it done. She even prayed to find the time. She began waking up in the middle of the night. The first few times it happened, she would lay there in frustration, trying to get back to sleep. After a few nights of this it hit her, she had been asking for time and there it was. She began to go into a small room, quietly read and study. For several days she would wake up at around 3 a.m. and made it her routine until finally she was able to find a time during the day. The a.m. wake up calls stopped and she found her niche.

Sitting down, just to be quiet, to listen to God and to soak in His Word can be much harder some days than others. Its not even just the above mentioned things or the fact that its so tempting to check messages every morning. Social networking sites have waylaid me from reading or writing on more than one occasion lately but some mornings, its just the clutter of thoughts in my mind that keep me from hearing what I need to hear. I'll start to read about one thing while a thought pops up reminding me of the past or something on my "to do" list. Like "Dug" in the Disney movie UP!, I can be mid thought and yell "Squirrel!" as my head whips around in a different direction.

I am convinced that we need to make ourselves be quiet. No TV, no radio, no internet, no outside input but just surround ourselves with quiet at least once a day. The "busy"ness crowds into our minds and clutters our hearts with things that need to be thrown out or at least recycled into something positive. We need to empty ourselves and allow our Creator to refill us daily so we can know His heart. We can find peace and direction when we know Him. We can start small and as we cut out distractions we can better see our destiny.

Where will you carve out a place to seek peace today? When will you make time to just sit and listen to what is being spoken into your heart? Like making time for your favorite show or activity, will you make time to rest your mind and fill your soul?

1 comment:

When I started BSF, I had 3 little kids (ages 1, 2, 3). I wondered if I would even make it through the year. A year later, I gave birth to twins. How could I possibly do this Bible Study while mothering 5 kids under 5 years old? God showed me how.

Fourteen years later ... we had moved, and we had to quit BSF for a time. I now had 9 children. God had been so very faithful.

My children were BLESSED with their many years in BSF. When my 20 year old son started going to the adult class, he introduced himself and said that he had already been in BSF for 14 years. Way cool!

We all moved away, but my 19 year old son drives over 30 minutes (and across the border into Canada) all by himself on Monday nights ... to attend the closest BSF. Wow!

WONDERFUL ministry! Would recommend it to anyone!!!

Before my husband became a pastor this year, he was the Substitute Teaching Leader for the BSF up in Canada, that my son now attends.

I am blessed, tonight, just to be reminded of all of our years in BSF. Beautiful memories for our entire family.